Knee & hip replacement care

What to expect following knee or hip replacement surgery?

Following knee or hip replacement surgery, you will spend some time in hospital to recover. Usually, this is around two to five days after knee replacement surgery and between one to two weeks following hip replacement surgery.

Before you are discharged from hospital, a comprehensive knee replacement aftercare or hip replacement aftercare recovery plan will be put in place to support your rehabilitation at home. This may include assessments to see if you qualify for six weeks free NHS home help after hip replacement or knee replacement surgery.

Following your surgery, is it normal to experience some:

• swelling
• stiffness
• pain in and around the joint
• difficulty moving

It can take several weeks for these symptoms to settle, so you may require assistance to help you move around safely and reduce your risk of falling.

You also need to ensure that your wound is properly cared for and any aftercare advice is followed to help prevent infection and promote your recovery.

At Cherished Home Care, we provide comprehensive hip and knee replacement aftercare with clearly defined goals ahead of your discharge from hospital. We work with the hospital discharge team to ensure a swift and efficient discharge and that your home is fully prepared with any necessary mobility aids fitted. This ensures you are comfortable and safe in your home from the moment you are discharged and can focus on working on your rehabilitation and regaining your independence.

What tasks can a hip and knee replacement carer help with?

At Cherished Home Care, our highly skilled and dedicated carers can help you or your loved one with a range of tasks to help you experience a smoother recovery following a hip or knee operation. This can include:

• Support with rehabilitation or physiotherapy – home carers can assist with daily exercises you may be prescribed to aid your recovery following hip or knee replacement surgery.
• Safe mobility – this ensures after knee or hip replacement surgery, you get the support you need to safely move around your home.
• Personal care – this can include helping you get up, washed, and dressed in the early days following surgery, with support slowly reduced as you become more able to do these tasks for yourself.
• Companionship – Following knee or hip replacement surgery, you will not be able to get out and about as usual, and this can lead to feelings of isolation and loneliness. A carer can provide valuable companionship which can help boost your well-being.
• Running errands – our home carers can assist you with errands like collecting groceries or prescriptions to ensure you have everything you need throughout your recovery.
• Medication management – after knee or hip surgery, you will likely be prescribed pain medications. Our carers can make sure you take these as advised to ensure your pain is minimised.
• Food prep and cooking – making sure you continue to eat a healthy and nutritious diet can be beneficial to your recovery, and our carers can be on hand to help prep and cook your favourite meals.
• Household chores – a carer can take care of a range of household chores, from light housework to laundry and even walking much-loved pets, until you can do so.
• Accompanying you to appointments – After surgery, you may have multiple follow-up appointments to attend with specialists like physiotherapists and rehabilitation nurses. Our home carers will not only help take you to these appointments, but they can provide support remembering all the information and advice you may be given.